ROLEX, DAYTONA REF. 6265 ‘BIG RED’, A MANUAL-WINDING CHRONOGRAPH

Launched in the 1970s, the reference 6265 is the sister reference of the 6263. Inheriting attributes of reference 6240, the chronograph bears the “Oyster” designation on the upper-half of its dial and is built with screw-down pushers, a screw back and screw-down crown. Made in steel, 14 and 18 karat gold, it is estimated that over a 20 year period, only 24,000 reference 6263 and 6265 were produced in stainless steel.

Housing the Valjoux 727 movement and a dial with cherry red “Daytona” signature, the chronograph was made with a slightly wider case, giving the wristwatch a more athletic feel than earlier references. The Ref. 6265 was produced from 1971 right up to 1988 and represents the last of the manual-winding Daytona models.

On the late 6265's the word Daytona is printed in a large, red font over the 6 o’ clock subdial, and hence it earned the nickname “Big Red” among Rolex aficionados. With its slightly wider case and more athletic proportions, the “Big Red” has over the years become the most desirable of the vintage Daytona models.